Author’s notes: Hello, minna-san! ^-^ This is a short story that I
wrote in one night, so I apologize if it jumps around too much. ^^;;;
I wrote this after someone mentioned that I should write another
fairy tale based CCS story. I thought that Cinderella would fit
perfectly. ^-^ As always, the story didn’t always go where I intended
it to. ^^;; But I’m pretty happy with how it’s turned out. ^-^ I
don’t own these characters, but if I did, I certainly wouldn’t have
left poor Tomoyo without her Sakura, so that’s why I’m writing these.
^-^ If you have any comments, please e-mail me. ^-^ I hope you like
it!
If the Shoe Fits
by Amazoness Duo
amazonessduo@hotmail.com
“Hurray! Hurray! Tomoeda!” schoolgirls chorused together, batons
whirling in the air above before landing in deft hands. The sun beat
down on the group of cheerleaders, the heat of the warm spring day
taking away most of the cheer and exuberance of the girls, leaving
their chants somewhat lifeless. But still the pressed on, the
oppressive heat taking its toll on the weary students. They had a lot
of practice left to do in order to have some of their routines ready
for the next school game. Their timing would have to be perfect in
order to captivate their audience. But for the time being, they
needed only a single cheerleader to delight their audience of one.
Tomoyo watched the cheerleading practice from the grass a short
distance away. Her dark skirt fluttered lazily in the meandering
breeze that brought the only relief to the afternoon sun. Her
attention rested solely on a cute brunette who was still struggling
with the last bit of the routine. Camcorder in hand, the pale heiress
dedicatedly recorded her best friend’s every move on videotape. The
better to watch and rewatch it all later, of course! She didn’t often
get a chance to watch Sakura’s cheerleading practice what with her
own choir practice at the same time. But her choir teacher was sick
for the day. Rather than going home early, Tomoyo was happy to stay
and watch Sakura’s practice. The way Sakura moved was simply
breathtaking. Every twirl of the baton, every cartwheel, every swish
of pompoms fascinated the dark haired girl. Sakura moved so lithely,
so gracefully. And more than that, Sakura genuinely enjoyed such
things. Tomoyo had decided that it must give all of Sakura’s energy
someplace to go, which was why Sakura always seemed happy while she
was being athletic. The auburn haired girl was a sight to behold at
whatever she was applying herself to, whether it be track or
cheerleading or soccer. Well, except when she got distracted. Which
Sakura was prone to doing. Then she’d often lost track of what she
was doing. But even that was incredibly cute in Tomoyo’s eyes.
Shifting on the dry grass, Tomoyo felt the hot sun against her pale
skin. She was vaguely concerned about getting sunburned, not because
it would be painful but mostly because she knew it would concern her
lovingly overprotective mother if she found out. She knew she should
probably move, but she was reluctant to give up such a perfect spot
to videotape her beloved Sakura. Setting her school hat on her pale
thighs, the dark haired heiress continued capturing her friend on
film. Zooming in on Sakura’s content face, Tomoyo let out a blissful
sigh. While most of the other girls were ready to quit, Sakura was
enjoying the chance to move her body, even under the merciless sun.
It was just one of many things Tomoyo loved about her best friend.
And besides, Sakura made such a cute cheerleader. Every little
beautiful movement by the Cardmistress made Tomoyo’s heart dance.
Resting a hand on her cheek, she followed Sakura as the other girl
went into a cartwheel. From the rustle of skirt to Sakura’s legs in
the air to her tousled hair as she returned to her feet, Tomoyo
captured it all. Her favorite part of all was the small, sweet smile
of success on Sakura’s lips as she finished. Sakura wasn’t out here
to compete or to show off. She was out here to have fun. She liked
being able to see what she could do. And Tomoyo loved being able to
watch.
‘If only I could videotape Sakura-chan all the time. If I could
catch every precious second of her life on videotape, then I could
treasure every shining moment forever,’ the dark haired girl thought
with a sigh. ‘But then if I was videotaping every second of her life,
I would never have time to watch it all. Hmmm... I’d have to watch it
while she slept,’ Tomoyo decided at last. She continued to follow
Sakura as the brunette got into formation with Rika and Naoko. Taking
a moment away from her assigned task, Sakura waved her fingers at
Tomoyo, a cute smile on her lips. Tomoyo returned the smile warmly,
her heart lighting up at the small gesture. She waved back, panning
out to get a better view of Sakura. Though she did love choir, Tomoyo
was grateful to have the day off to record Sakura’s practice. No
matter how much she loved singing, it couldn’t begin to compare to
her love for the auburn haired girl. “You can do it, Sakura-chan!”
Tomoyo called to her friend as Sakura prepared herself. Sakura may be
the one cheerleading, but Tomoyo was Sakura’s personal cheerleader.
She was there to support the auburn haired girl through everything,
to give her the confidence she needed to overcome anything. She was
always there to help her beloved Sakura.
Looking more sure of herself, Sakura took a few steps back to get
ready for her running start. Tomoyo watched quietly, eager to see
Sakura succeed. Even if she failed, Tomoyo knew that Sakura wouldn’t
give up on it. It just wasn’t the brunette’s style. Sakura had a
burning determination within her that just waited for the right times
to come out. And it always thrilled Tomoyo when she could see it make
its way to the surface. It burned with an emerald fire in Sakura’s
eyes. Sighing again, Tomoyo raised the camcorder to get a good
glimpse of Sakura’s face. ‘Sakura-chan is so beautiful,’ she thought
dreamily, tracing the athletic girl’s face in her memory as she
lowered it back to prepare for Sakura’s movement.
Sakura was everything to Tomoyo. She was a beautiful, gentle
princess. She was a brave and courageous prince. She was a fun and
energetic best friend. She was Tomoyo’s one and only true love. The
dark haired girl had fallen in love with Sakura shortly after first
meeting her. It was almost a love at first sight. And what had
started out as tentative feelings for this genki girl who had
befriended her grew stronger and deeper with each passing day.
Everything they had been through had made the heiress love her friend
ever more and more. Sakura was Tomoyo’s most cherished treasure, her
heart’s single desire. Whether it was fate that she fall for the
daughter of her own mother’s lost love or if it was simply an amazing
coincidence, Tomoyo knew that she had fallen deeply in love with her
energetic best friend. And it was something that held Tomoyo
helplessly caught in its strength. But even with her whole heart
singing to her beautiful best friend, she could not yet speak it to
the brunette. Sakura wouldn’t yet understand her feelings, wouldn’t
begin to comprehend how she felt. So she would wait for now. Someday,
somewhere, she would explain her heart to the Cardmistress. Maybe
after Sakura was happily married or maybe when she would ask Sakura
out herself if things didn’t pan out with Syaoran. But for the time
being, she would live her life as one huge ‘I love you’ to Sakura.
The brunette might not hear the words, but Tomoyo put her love into
everything she did. And someday, maybe Sakura would hear the song
from her heart.
Girls clapped cheerfully as Sakura landed lithely on her feet.
Smiling, the brunette put a hand behind her head. She smiled over at
the girl who was videotaping her. She always felt like she could
accomplish anything when Tomoyo was around. Tomoyo always gave her
that extra little bit of encouragement she needed. Just knowing that
the dark haired girl was around made her feel like she could do more
than she could on her own. Maybe it was because Tomoyo had so much
confidence in her. Or maybe it was because she knew that she had all
of Tomoyo’s support behind her, no matter what she did. Whatever the
case, Sakura was grateful for it all the same.
The coach finally called an end to the days practices, sending the
gathered girls holding pompoms and batons on their way. Sakura
hurried over to her pale friend, still smiling happily. She had been
trying to get that last jump right for the past week. “Arigato,
Tomoyo-chan! Thanks for staying to watch!”
“You were amazing, Sakura-chan! You moved like a beautiful jungle
cat, so graceful on your feet,” Tomoyo replied, slowly getting up and
smoothing out her skirt. “I was happy to watch you, Sakura-chan. I
wish I had the chance to more often.”
“You already watch Sakura-chan almost all the time, Tomoyo-chan,”
Chiharu added, followed by Rika and Naoko.
Tomoyo sighed, a hand resting on her cheek as she gazed longingly
at Sakura. “Almost all the time isn’t enough. I want to watch Sakura-
chan all the time.” The gathered girls laughed while Sakura blushed a
dark red, sweatdropping. Tomoyo merely smiled sweetly, Her stormy
blue eyes never leaving her cutely blushing beloved.
“Tomoyo-chan... Why do you want to watch me all the time, anyway?
There are lots of more interesting things out there,” Sakura
ventured, holding her pompoms behind her head. It always embarrassed
her to hear Tomoyo say such things. She always thought it was sweet
of the dark haired girl, even if it was strange. But she’d known
Tomoyo was a little strange for nearly as long as she had known her.
What she didn’t know what why Tomoyo thought so highly of her. She
couldn’t quite understand it.
“Some people go to movies, some people read books, other people
watch sports. They do these things because it makes them happy. I
watch Sakura-chan. That makes me happy.” Tomoyo placed her camcorder
in it’s carrying case and smiled as she turned back to Sakura. “And
there isn’t anything more interesting to me than Sakura-chan.”
“I wish Yamazaki-kun was that loyal. I don’t even know how he feels
half the time because he’s always making up stories.” Chiharu
frowned, her hands on her hips.
“So you’d rather Yamazaki-kun talk about you all the time like
Tomoyo-chan instead of telling tall tales?” Rika teased.
“That would be much better than him spending all his time lying
about everything. Then I’d at least know he liked me. I’m tired of
having to guess all the time.” Sighing, Chiharu scratched the back of
her leg with her shoe. “So who are you going with to the masquerade?”
she asked curiously.
Rika blushed faintly, smiling nonetheless. “Oh, I’m not going with
anyone. I think I’m just going to help Terrada-sensei with the food
and drinks and all.”
“I’m not going with anyone either. I’ll just go by myself. Maybe
I’ll meet my prince charming there,” Naoko answered. “You never know.”
“What about you, Sakura-chan?” Chiharu asked, turning to the
puzzled brunette.
“Hoe... Masquerade? When is that?” Sakura asked in confusion. She
couldn’t remember anything about that. When had all this happened?
“You didn’t know? Terrada-sensei mentioned it this morning,” Rika
supplied, pushing back some hair from her eyes.
“Sakura-chan was catching a quick nap. She was up late last night
so I didn’t want to wake her,” Tomoyo answered, smiling softly.
“Oh. Well, it’s this Sunday at the school. I heard it’s going to be
romantic. It’s supposed to be for couples, so there’s going to be
dances and games and things. I’m going with Yamazaki-kun.” Chiharu
glanced around for the boy in question, but her boyfriend didn’t seem
to be anywhere in sight. She sighed, frustrated. She would just have
to call him that night. Ignoring her frustration, she turned her
attention back to Sakura. “So who are you going with?”
“I don’t know,” Sakura answered, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by
the whole situation. It wasn’t fair that they spring something like
this on her at the last moment. And even worse, she didn’t have
anyone to go with. What was the good of having a nice romantic
masquerade ball when she had no one to go with?
Tomoyo watched Sakura thoughtfully, a hand on her chin. Sakura
didn’t look too happy about this turn of events. And she certainly
couldn’t blame her. It would be too sad for Sakura not to be able to
go to the ball. Her mind worked quickly. There had to be something
she could do for Sakura.
“What about Li-kun, Sakura-chan? You could always ask him,” Rika
suggested hopefully.
“He’s already going with Meiling-chan,” Tomoyo said absentmindedly,
her mind still puzzling over the matter. “She got him to promise just
after the announcement.”
Chiharu giggled, grinning. “She probably threatened to hurt him if
he didn’t take her.”
“That’s probably what you’ll do to poor Yamazaki-kun if he doesn’t
go with you, too,” Rika added, giggling herself.
Chiharu ‘harumphed’, crossing her arms.
“I have to get home. It’s my night to make dinner,” Sakura said,
feeling a little dazed. The other girls waved to her as she got her
bag, heading out past the front gate. A nice romantic ball. And she
had no one to go with. Her shoulders slumped at the thought. There
was always the hope that someone might ask her, but who would? It
wasn’t like Yukito would ask her to a dance at her school.
“Sakura-chan, are you all right?” Tomoyo asked concernedly,
startling her auburn haired friend.
“Tomoyo-chan... I didn’t see you there. Gomen nasai.” Sakura smiled
weakly, the smile fading quickly. “I don’t think I’m going to the
masquerade. It sounds like fun, but I don’t have anyone to go with.”
Sighing, the brunette, blinked back the wet sting of tears. She felt
Tomoyo take her hand, the dark haired girl’s gentle fingers entwining
with her own. She wasn’t feeling well at all. Her heart had dropped
after finding out about the ball. It reminded her too much of how she
didn’t have anyone to be with. Everyone else was falling in love, but
she was all alone. Where was her prince?
“I’m sorry, Sakura-chan. I really think you should go. I think
you’ll have fun. You may not have anyone to go with, but I know
you’ll meet someone there who would be more than happy to spend some
time with you,” Tomoyo offered, squeezing Sakura’s hand softly. It
was horrible to see Sakura like this, to see her genki spirit so sad.
Sakura was very emotional, so everything affected her greatly. And
Tomoyo always watched the rise and fall of Sakura’s heart. It hurt
her to think of Sakura being sad for long. Even seeing Sakura near
tears now was like a painful stab to her heart. She stopped where she
was, still holding Sakura’s hand. “I know you will. So please don’t
be sad. It makes me sad to see you like this, Sakura-chan. I want to
see you smile. I want to see your eyes sparkle.”
Sakura looked down for a long moment. She wiped at her eyes with
the back of her hand. Smiling slowly, she looked up to meet Tomoyo’s
pretty indigo eyes. Yes, Tomoyo was right. This wasn’t anything to be
sad about. And maybe she would meet someone while she was there. Like
Naoko had said, you never know. “Un. You’re right, Tomoyo-chan. And
you’ll be there with me, so even if I can’t go with the one I love,
we can at least have fun.”
Tomoyo shook her head, her long, dark hair swishing from side to
side. “Gomen, Sakura-chan. I won’t be able to go that day. I need to
help mother with something.” She caught Sakura’s eye before Sakura
could look down again. “But please go, Sakura-chan. I know you’ll
have fun. I promise. I’d love to go with you more than anything, but
I can’t this time.”
Sighing, Sakura nodded. “If you say so, Tomoyo-chan. But I still
don’t think it’ll be any fun without you there.” She squeezed
Tomoyo’s soft hand back. If Tomoyo thought so, then she would go,
even if she was doubtful. She sighed again, brushing back her hair.
“Tomoyo-chan, you’re so lucky that you haven’t fallen in love with
someone who didn’t love you back. I still feel bad about Yukito-san.”
Tomoyo hugged Sakura warmly. “I know exactly how you feel, Sakura-
chan. It’s a lonely feeling, isn’t it? You want to be with them with
all your heart, but you know you can’t. All you can do is pray for
the best for them. And love them with all your heart.” The young
heiress slowly pulled away. “Arigato, Sakura-chan. Please enjoy
yourself. And if someone asks you to dance, please do.” Tomoyo smiled
brightly before letting go of Sakura’s hand. Her limousine was
waiting back near the school. “Bye, Sakura-chan!”
Sakura blinked in confusion, waving to her eccentric friend. “Bye,
Tomoyo-chan!” She didn’t know what Tomoyo was suddenly so
enthusiastic about. Well, she better hurry home to finish dinner.
Shaking her head, she went about deciding what to make for dinner.
“Hmmm...” Sonomi took a step back from her daughter, looking at the
younger girl thoughtfully. With a sigh, she set the needle she was
holding down. “Tomoyo-chan, you do not make a very good boy. You’re
just too feminine to make a decent boy.”
Looking down at her mother’s handiwork, Tomoyo shifted a bit. “I
think you’ve done a wonderful job, okaa-sama. I don’t think Sakura-
chan will notice.” She smiled appreciatively, looking back up at her
mother.
“If she needs a date for the dance, I don’t see why you can’t take
her as a girl. You would look so much prettier in a nice dress
instead of a tuxedo.” Picking up the needle again, Sonomi knelt in
front of her daughter, going back to her sewing. It was difficult for
her to see Tomoyo as a boy even in the outfit. She tried to tell
herself that it was simply because she had known Tomoyo for the
younger girl’s entire life, but she doubted it.
“I’d rather go in a dress, too. But then Sakura-chan would just
think it was us going as friends. I want her to have a nice, romantic
ball that she’ll remember forever.” Tomoyo clasped her hands
together, looking off into the distance. A soft sigh escaped her as
she came back to the present. “Sakura-chan’s lonely now. She needs a
nice romantic moment to spark the love that’s held deep in her heart.
And I can’t do that if I go as myself. Sakura-chan doesn’t understand
about girls liking girls yet.”
Sonomi chuckled softly, pulling the thread through again. “I didn’t
understand it myself back when I was her age. All I knew was that
Nadeshiko-chan was the most wonderful person I could think of. I knew
I felt very strongly about her, but I didn’t know that I was in love
with her back then.” Sonomi sighed, her eyes closing as she brought
up an image of her beautiful cousin, a perpetual smile on her
eternally young face, as if she had been frozen in amber.
“You didn’t understand back when you were our age?” Tomoyo asked
curiously. She had heard stories of her aunt, her mother’s only love,
for her entire life. But she had always assumed that her mother had
always known of her love for the other woman. Tomoyo herself had
known rather early on that she was in love with Sakura. It was a
surprise to hear that it had taken her mother a while to understand
what these feelings were. Those beautiful feelings of love. The most
lovely torture imaginable. Tomoyo had always held them close to her
heart, cherishing the love she had for Sakura.
“We’re not all as perceptive as you, Tomoyo-chan. It took me a
while to find out what those feelings were. So I wouldn’t be
surprised if it takes Sakura-chan a little while to figure it out
herself. She reminds me a lot more of myself than of Nadeshiko-chan,
even if she is Nadeshiko-chan’s daughter.” Sonomi finished her
sewing, stretching as she stood up. ‘Hopefully Sakura-chan will
figure it out before it’s too late. I know that I didn’t. Maybe if I
had...’ Ending that thought, the businesswoman smiled at her
daughter.
Tomoyo tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. It had taken her
mother some time before she had understood her feelings for her
cousin. Could the same be true of Sakura? She knew that Sakura was
too young to understand her feelings for her, but did this mean
Sakura may not understand her own feelings as well? Sakura did often
get confused about such things. She was very emotional, but the poor
brunette often had a difficult time understanding her own heart. The
possibility left Tomoyo’s heart weak at the prospect of being the one
to make Sakura happy. If only...
“It’s so cute. Most girls fall for people like their father. Now my
little girl’s falling in love with someone like her mother. How
sweet.” Sonomi grinned, brushing back some of her daughter’s hair.
She didn’t get to spend much time with her darling daughter because
of her job, but she was always happy when she got the chance to be
with her. She didn’t get nearly enough time to tease the younger girl
about Sakura. Of course, she understood exactly how Tomoyo felt about
the brunette. It reminded her so much of herself and Nadeshiko when
they had been younger. Which is why it always pained her to see
Tomoyo ready to let someone else be with Sakura. Her daughter had
told her that it was so Sakura would be happy, but Sonomi could think
of no one better suited to that job than Tomoyo. No one knew Sakura
better than Tomoyo. None of them had a better understanding of
Sakura’s heart, not even Sakura herself. If anyone could make Sakura
happy, Sonomi was sure it was her daughter.
Tomoyo giggled in response. “She even runs like you. And she’s so
cute when she does. She has this beautiful determined look in her
eyes.” Sighing deliciously, Tomoyo stepped down from the pedestal she
was standing on while her mother had fixed her outfit. “How is it?”
she asked, turning around.
“You look like my precious Tomoyo-chan in a tuxedo,” Sonomi
answered truthfully, raising an eyebrow. “But I guess that can’t be
helped. I wouldn’t want you to look like anyone else anyway. If you
keep your hat on, then you should be able to pass for a boy at least.
Hopefully Sakura-chan won’t notice that it’s you. Or maybe she will
and she’ll still spend the night dancing with you.”
“Arigato, okaa-sama,” Tomoyo said at last, taking a look in the
mirror. Closing her stormy blue eyes, the young heiress clasped her
hands together. “This is perfect. Even if it’s for only one night, I
can try to make Sakura-chan happy.”
Sakura sighed inwardly, leaning against the wall. She wanted to
apologize to Tomoyo. Here she was in a gorgeous ball gown Tomoyo had
made for her, and she was spending the whole time just watching the
other couples enjoy themselves. It felt like such a waste of Tomoyo’s
beautiful gown. She really hadn’t wanted to go at all, but she had
promised her best friend that she would. And seeing the gown that
Tomoyo had spent so much time working on made sure she couldn’t back
out of it. But now that she was at the ball, she just wanted to go
home. She didn’t even have Tomoyo to talk to. It just made the whole
thing feel pointless. She didn’t know if she could take another
friend walking by and asking if she was having fun. Rika was dancing
with Terrada-sensei at the moment and even Naoko was dancing with
someone. She tried not to watch as Meiling and Syaoran danced by.
Oddly enough, she didn’t really mind that Syaoran was there with
Meiling. She seemed much happier to have him, really. But it was
exactly that type of love that left Sakura feeling so desolate. She
didn’t have that, not even with Yukito anymore. She didn’t like not
being in love. It was too lonely. It was like living life without a
dream in one’s heart, no light at the end of the tunnel.
The doors to the gym slowly opened, a boy Sakura didn’t recognize
entering the room. She couldn’t say what caught her attention, but
only that there was something different about him. Pushing up the
small mask around her eyes, she took a closer look. He was very pale,
with some dark hair showing from underneath his hat. He worse a mask
like everyone else at the ball, so it was difficult to tell if she
knew him or not. He did look familiar, though she couldn’t place him
exactly. She looked away when she saw his eyes meet her own, a faint
blush on her cheeks. She felt embarrassed to have been caught
staring.
“Hello,” a soft voice said, catching Sakura’s attention.
Looking up, Sakura saw the pale boy in front of her. He smiled a
warm, soft smile, his eyes closed as he did. Sakura felt herself
relax in his presence, not feeling as embarrassed anymore. “Hi,” she
replied, pushing her mask back up. She still didn’t know who he was.
Her mind hurried to figure it out. He was pale and had dark hair. Was
it Eriol? But didn’t he need glasses? Maybe he was wearing contacts
or something. But it didn’t feel like Eriol.
“Would you like to dance?” the mysterious boy asked, holding out an
ivory hand to the Cardmistress. He blinked his stormy blue eyes open,
watching Sakura’s hopefully.
It took Sakura a moment to realize she had accepted. By the time
she did, they were already hand in hand, headed for the dance floor
with the other students. She forced away a faint blush that darkened
her cheeks. This was just one dance. She didn’t have to feel
embarrassed about it. But she couldn’t help but be a little nervous
as they passed the other dancing, costumed students. Why wouldn’t she
be? Some mysterious boy had just asked her to dance. As if it wasn’t
bad enough just to be asked to go dancing in the first place.
Glancing over at him again, he smiled softly, taking away Sakura’s
worry. She returned the smile as they reached the dance floor.
Slowly, the two began to dance, moving about the dance floor in
tandem. Sakura was amazed by the boy’s grace, his movements drawing
her along fluidly. She quickly lost herself to their dance, a
beautiful dream of swirling and movement that captured her soul. All
nervousness she had had earlier fled as they moved about together.
She didn’t know what it was about him that put her at ease, but it
certainly did its job. She found herself enjoying the dance
immensely, fluttering about in the beautiful gown Tomoyo had made for
her. They moved fluidly together, as if their thoughts were one.
Sometimes he would lead and sometimes Sakura would lead, switching
every so often as they did.
The other students faded away as they danced, becoming nothing more
than part of the backdrop of the dance. The lights receded into the
barest hints of stardust, swirling around them as they continued to
dance. Sakura watched him as they swayed about, finding herself at
ease even so near to him. His eyes were warm, his smile so charming.
It wasn’t like Syaoran’s scowl at all. In fact, it was almost like
Yukito’s smile, soft and caring. But there was something else in it,
too, something that Sakura couldn’t quite put her finger on. It made
her feel happy and content. As if it filled her up with some unknown
energy. She couldn’t quite understand what it was, but she liked it.
She sighed happily to herself.
When the next song finally ended, Sakura got ready to take the lead
again. She was a little disappointed when he smiled apologetically at
her. She felt ready to dance the night away. It was so much fun,
letting her body move about in time with the music, following and
leading this mysterious boy. “Gomen nasai,” he said in his soft,
musical voice. “I would love to dance with you forever. You’re so
cute when you’re dancing. But I think I need to take a break for just
a bit. My feet need a short rest.”
Sakura blinked herself out of the dreamy haze she had been lost in,
focussing on the pale boy in front of her. A slow ache worked its way
from her own abused feet and sore legs. Just how long had they been
dancing? She smiled in response and nodded. “That’s a good idea. I
could probably use a break, too.” She felt silly for having been so
lost in their dance. How could she have lost track of everything like
that? But somehow it didn’t really seem to matter with him. She
followed the dark haired boy outside, the realization of the pain in
her feet suddenly making it much more acute. Stepping outside, she
took a seat next to him. To her surprise, the moon was out, the stars
shining brightly. They had been dancing for hours. No wonder she was
so sore. Slipping her shoes off with her feet, she rubbed them
together through the stockings she was wearing.
“You’re so pretty in the moonlight,” The boy said happily, his
stormy blue eyes watching Sakura intently. “Especially when you
smile. You don’t know how glad I am to have seen you smiling
tonight.” His stormy blue eyes sparkled in the dim light, his hand
lying on top of Sakura’s.
Blushing faintly, Sakura looked down at her feet. It was
embarrassing, but she liked hearing him say that. It made her feel
good inside. Somehow, she knew that he meant every word of it. She
graced him with another smile, looking back up at him. “Thank you,”
she replied. She wasn’t concerned with who he was anymore. That was
in the back of her mind by now. She was just happy to be spending the
dance with him. She had to remember to thank Tomoyo when she saw her
later. She had been right, as always. “I had a lot of fun tonight.
You’re a really good dancer. I didn’t know dancing could be so much
fun.”
He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. “Dancing is a wonderful
thing. It lets you lose yourself in the music, to move along with it.
It really helps the music to touch your soul. It’s a lot more fun
when you can dance with someone you like.”
Sakura blushed brighter at his words. Looking down at their hands,
she took a deep breath. She felt so nice with him. It made her feel
special, magical in a way that the Cards couldn’t make her feel. This
boy made her feel like she was a treasure to be cherished. She loved
that feeling. It made her feel dizzy and ecstatic. She didn’t feel
awkward with him. She liked talking to him, liked seeing him smile at
her. “Do you like me?” she asked, looking down immediately, her
cheeks burning. That was what he had implied, right? But maybe she
shouldn’t have said anything. She didn’t even know who the mystery
boy was. But that didn’t seem to matter. There was just something
about him. It felt so familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger
on it.
The boy blinked for a moment as if taken by surprise. The surprise
quickly went away though, and he smiled. “Yes. I like Sakura-chan
very much. I don’t see how anyone couldn’t.”
Looking up quickly, Sakura’s emerald eyes caught with his own
indigo ones. She found herself captured by them, frozen in their
gaze. She hadn’t known what to expect as his answer, but it shook her
nonetheless. At the same time, she couldn’t really imagine him saying
anything else. It just felt right. She felt like she had known him
for years. Which she may well have. Whoever he was, he made her feel
so special, like a real live princess. She smiled happily, but she
felt another wave of embarrassment hit as she ventured forward. “I..
I like you, too,” she replied, surprised to find that no blush came
to her cheeks this time. Perhaps it was because she knew she had no
reason to worry. His eyes held onto hers with a loving care. He would
hold her heart preciously. There was no fear of offering it to him,
of him rejecting it. It was surprising. She finally met the boy she
liked and she didn’t even know who he was. She had to have met him
before, but which boy in her class he was, she wasn’t certain. But
she couldn’t help how she felt. Sometimes one’s heart and mind
weren’t always in the same place. For Sakura, her heart was much more
important than her mind.
This seemed to stun the boy much more than Sakura’s previous
question. He watched her for a long moment, his stormy blue eyes
almost afraid. He stood up quickly, bringing up Sakura’s hand with
both of his own. “Thank you very much, Sakura-chan. I’m so glad you
had fun at the dance. But you don’t even know who I am. You really
shouldn’t say that,” he explained, looking down into her emerald eyes
worriedly. The worry faded away behind a soft smile, as if it hadn’t
been there at all. So familiar. Just like... Sakura still couldn’t
place him.
Shaking her head swiftly, Sakura watched the mysterious boy. “No, I
do. I know I do. I feel like I’ve known you forever. You’re so sweet
and kind. You make me feel happy. I like being with you. I like you,”
Sakura repeated, looking up at him hopefully. “It doesn’t matter who
you are. I’ll still like you, no matter who it is. You must know me
pretty well, but I can’t tell who you are. But that isn’t important.
Right?”
The boy looked back down into Sakura’s pleading eyes. He smiled
more, placing his hands on her cheeks. “Sakura-chan, I’ll always love
you. If you still feel that way about me when you know who I am, then
that would be the sweetest dream come true. But I can’t tell you who
I am yet. I don’t think it’s the right time. I don’t know if you’re
ready. But you’ve given me a wonderful gift tonight. Hope. That hope
will burn brightly in my heart as I wait for you, Sakura-chan. I’ll
always wait for you.”
Sakura placed her hands on top of his, lost in his deep indigo
eyes. She felt her cheeks flushed against his hands, but she could
only look up at him. She wanted to protest, to tell him it wasn’t so,
but she could only meet his gaze. Slowly, he leant towards her. The
brunette’s heart started pounding faster in her heart, a sweet
longing overtaking her as the soft lips brushed her own. Silky lips
touched gently against her own, leaving her with a petal soft kiss.
She could only sit and watch as he pulled away, the kiss lingering on
her lips. It was so delicate, but she could feel its aftereffects
throughout her body and soul.
“I love you, Sakura-chan,” he whispered, smiling at the dazed
Cardmistress as he let his hands drop from her cheeks. Turning, he
headed towards the parking lot.
‘He kissed me,’ Sakura thought, her fingers moving to her lips. It
was much softer than she would’ve imagined, just a delicate little
thing, but it was infinitely more powerful than anything she could
have dreamt of. Closing her eyes, she could still feel the soft kiss
against her lips, could feel the spark in her heart. Blinking
quickly, the brunette forced herself out of her daze in time to see
the pale boy’s retreating form. ‘If he leaves now, how will I ever
see him again? How will I know who he is?’ Sliding on her shoes
quickly, Sakura ran after the boy. “Wait! Please don’t go yet! You
have to tell me your name! I know I’ll like you, whoever you are!”
She called after him. But the boy didn’t stop. He looked back
apologetically and climbed into a black car. Sakura hurried to him,
hoping to reach the car in time. But obviously the car was in a hurry
of it’s own, zipping past her.
Sakura slowed to a halt, her heart drooping in her chest. Her
shoulders slumped as she watched the car fade into the distance. She
didn’t even know his name. When school came the next day, she
wouldn’t have any idea which of the boys he was. She was stuck. She
was back in love, but she didn’t even know with who. She couldn’t
tell if that was better or worse than her earlier predicament of not
being in love at all. She sniffled, alone in the moonlight. How would
she find him again? She just wanted to be with him, to talk to him,
to know he was there. But now she was lost.
Just when she was about to give up hope, something caught her eye.
A shoe lay on the floor near where the car had been parked. A surge
of hope flooded through her. He must have lost it before getting in
the car. He hadn’t been able to retrieve it because Sakura had been
right behind him. He would have had to stay if he had waited to get
the shoe. She picked it up quickly, holding it tightly to her chest.
It was her only possession of his, her only clue. The small shoe was
her only proof that he had been there at all, that her mystery boy
had been more than just a dream. But what could she do with it? How
could she find out who he was with this simple hint?
‘Onii-chan!’ her mind supplied frantically. Her older brother had
worked every part-time job known to man. He would know about the
shoe! He had to. Pulling out her key, Sakura flew home. There was no
reason to stay at the dance anymore. Her prince charming had fled and
she had to find him.
“Onii-chan! Onii-chan!” Sakura called out, nearly tripping on the
long gown as she pushed through the door. Her eyes quickly scanned
for her older brohter, desperate to find him. “Onii-chan!!” she
called out, frustrated. He had to be around somewhere. She didn’t
feel like waiting. Her heart was still beating rapidly, her mind
still stuck on her mysterious love. Love. Yes, that was it. She did
love him. She hadn’t felt this way about Syaoran. Or even Yukito.
This was stronger than her crushes in the past. This left her head
over heals, her whole soul longing to see him again. He made her feel
complete. Whoever he was. “Onii-chan!!!”
“What is it, monster? This better be good. You’re going to wake up
the whole neighborhood with your wailing,” Touya said exasperatedly
as he made his way downstairs. His younger sister hurried to his
side, holding up a shoe in her hands. He smiled inwardly. She really
was growing up. She wasn’t just a little girl anymore. She actually
looked pretty in the gown she was wearing, nearly grown up. But he
would never tell her that, of course.
“I need you to tell me about this shoe. It’s very important that I
find out who it belongs to. This boy..” Sakura trailed off, blushing.
“I just need to know about it.”
“About a shoe?” he replied, skeptically.
“Please, onii-chan?” Sakura begged, clasping her hands together.
She was desperate. She usually wouldn’t bother with Touya, but she
needed his help. She had to find the pale boy again. She needed to
tell him that nothing would change her feelings, that she just wanted
to see him again. That she couldn’t be happy without him.
Touya was surprised by Sakura’s eagerness. He nodded slowly, taking
the shoe before sitting down. “Let’s see..” He frowned, turning it
over. “Who’s shoe did you say this was again?”
“Some boy from the dance,” Sakura replied quickly, pressing her
fingers together in embarrassment. The last thing she needed was for
Touya to play the concerned big brother and worry about some boy she
met.
Shaking his head, Touya looked back at Sakura. “This is a girls’
shoe, Sakura-chan.”
“So he has dainty feet!!” Sakura said angrily, kicking her brother
in the shin. She crossed her arms, glaring at him as she waited for
him to continue.
Gritting his teeth, Touya rubbed his leg. If only Sakura wasn’t so
athletic, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much when she did things like
that. It wasn’t so bad when she was a kid, but now he was seriously
starting to reconsider taunting her. Of course, this time he was
being serious, so it wasn’t even his own fault. “Alright. So he wears
girls’ shoes. That’s not my problem.” He gave his younger sister a
stare of his own before moving on, looking back at the shoe. “It’s
pretty small, so he has to have small feet. A little smaller than
yours, actually. It doesn’t look like it’s been used much, so I’m
guessing it was bought recently. Other than that, there’s not much I
can tell you.” He looked back up to see Sakura storm over and swipe
the shoe from him. He let it go, raising an eyebrow. Apparently
whatever this was had affected Sakura pretty badly. He wanted to ask,
but he didn’t think this was something she’d want to tell her older
brother. “Don’t stomp on those stairs so much, monster. Do you want
the whole house to collapse?” Her only reply was to slam her door.
Sighing inwardly, Touya rested his head back against the couch.
Sakura slumped on her bed, cradling the shoe in her arms. So much
for that avenue. All she knew now was that he had small, dainty feet.
But who could match that description? Syaoran? No, he didn’t fit. And
he had been dancing with Meiling anyway. Yamazaki? He should have
been with Chiharu the whole night, and he was actually pretty tall.
Eriol? No, Sakura still didn’t think it was him. But then who could
it belong to? She couldn’t think of any other boys that would match
her mystery boy either.
Lifting the shoe up in the air, Sakura turned it around, looking at
it thoughtfully. It was the only thing she had left from the pale
boy. There had to be something she could do with it to find out who
he was. But what? It was too bad he didn’t write his name in it or
his address. Then Sakura could show up with it, giving it back to him
and explaining that he had no need to worry because she still liked
him. But she wasn’t that lucky.
“Nice shoe,” Kero commented, looking up from his video game. “Looks
expensive.” Pausing the game, Kero lifted up, floating over to
Sakura. “How did the dance go?”
Sakura rolled onto her side, still clutching the shoe. A faint
blush colored her cheeks. “It was fantastic. I had so much fun, Kero-
chan. I danced and danced and danced. And there was this really sweet
boy there that..” She trailed off, holding the shoe to her chest
again.
“Ohhhh.. So you met a boy you liked there, huh?” Kero asked,
grinning from ear to ear. “Who was he?” His curiosity piqued, the
Seal Beast landed next to Sakura, poking her in the side with a
stubby paw. “You have to tell me.”
Sighing, Sakura rolled onto her back again, her legs held up
against herself. “I would if I could. But I don’t even know his name.
I just know that this was his. But I can’t even give it back to him
because I don’t know who he is.” Sighing miserably, Sakura set the
shoe next to her bed, staring up at her roof. She kept seeing his
smile, warm and gentle. It taunted her every time she closed her
eyes, making her miss him even more.
“Hmm.. That is a problem,” Kero said thoughtfully, flying down to
inspect the shoe. He prodded it with one of his feet, watching the
delicate thing shift on its side.
“I know. But it’s all I have of his. It’s the only thing that I can
use to find out who he is,” Sakura lamented, hugging a pillow to
herself. She felt miserable. And alone. She wanted to be with him
again, dancing and smiling and laughing. Her emerald eyes fell
closed, her mind half daydreaming about seeing him again. She hugged
her pillow closer, pretending it was the pale boy. “I miss you
already,” she whispered to it.
“I’ve got it!” Kero called out, popping up right in front of
Sakura’s face and very nearly startling the poor girl. “You have his
shoe, right? You know he’s from your class, right? Just try it on
every boy in your class until you find him.” The Seal Beast crossed
his arms, proud of himself.
Sakura blinked at the absurd thought, still holding tightly onto
her pillow. What a plan, going from boy to boy and trying on the one
shoe she had of her mystery boy. It was laughable. And yet, it was
all she had. And it made sense. If she could find the boy that fit
the shoe.. “Thank you, Kero-chan!” Sakura said happily, dropping the
pillow as she got to her knees. She squealed happily at the thought,
taking Kero’s small hands in her own. “Sugoi! I’ll get to find him
after all! And I’ll prove to him that I like him just the same, no
matter who he is!”
“I knew it would work. I’m full of good advice. You should turn to
me more often,” Kero said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms.
Sakura picked up her little pink cell phone, ready to call Tomoyo.
For some reason, she had the strongest urge to call the pale girl, to
tell her everything that had happened that night. This wasn’t
particularly unusual because she always talked to Tomoyo about
everything. But it was already late and Tomoyo was probably in bed.
Sakura had the urge to call anyway, to wake her up despite it just so
she could hear her voice, so they could talk it all out. She wanted
to hear Tomoyo at the moment. She knew it would make her feel better.
It always did. Or she could even fly to her house. It wouldn’t take
long. And then Tomoyo would probably get her some tea and they would
sit and talk all night long. But there was so much she needed to do
tomorrow. And she would feel awful if she did wake Tomoyo up, even
though Tomoyo told her she always could if she needed to. Working up
the will, Sakura finally put the phone down. She would just tell
Tomoyo all about it the next day. Slipping out of her gown and
pulling on some pajamas, Sakura quickly got ready for bed, though
sleep would be long in coming.
Tomoyo stirred as light filtered into the Daidouji home, slowly
pushing away the sleepiness that clouded her mind. She had to be up
to get to school on time as she always did. Shifting around she found
that she wasn’t in bed. Her head slowly pulled up, sleep blurred eyes
blinking tiredly as they struggled to come into focus. She was on the
couch. A hand in her hair told her that she wasn’t alone. She sighed
softly, resting her head back on her mother’s lap. She must have
fallen asleep after telling her mother the whole story the night
before. And her mother had stayed with her all night long, even in an
uncomfortable sitting position. She smiled softly, glad to be near
her mother, even if for only a short time before school.
Memories played back through the young heiress’s mind as if they
had been recorded on one of her videotapes, each image crystal clear.
She could remember dancing the whole night with Sakura, could
remember Sakura telling her that she liked her, could remember the
deliciously soft kiss they had shared. She blushed, a hand going to
her cheek as she replayed that memory again and again. Now only if
she could have gotten that memory on videotape.
All in all, the night had been very nearly perfect. She had
accomplished what she had set out to do. Sakura had had a nice,
romantic night. She had healed some of the loneliness in her best
friend’s heart. But the only problem that lingered was Sakura’s
profession of love. That hadn’t been part of the plan at all. Tomoyo
was supposed to go to the ball as a boy. Check. She was supposed to
make sure Sakura enjoyed herself. Check. Then she was supposed to
leave, giving Sakura renewed confidence that she would find love.
That one was now a little more confusing. She had left Sakura with
the renewed confidence that she had found her love then and there.
But where did that leave Tomoyo? Sakura didn’t even know it was her.
And how could she tell Sakura that it was? Was Sakura even ready for
that? She had left in the hopes of quelling such problems, but the
dark haired girl doubted they would go away so easily. Oh well. Maybe
this meant Sakura could like her after all, that maybe she could
actually make Sakura happy. In a few years, maybe she could even tell
Sakura how she felt. Yes, there was always hope. Now more than ever.
Smiling happily, Tomoyo slowly sat up next to her mother. “Okaa-
sama, it’s time to wake up,” she said softly.
The older woman stirred, blinking herself awake. Sonomi stretched,
her body sore from sleeping so awkwardly. She smiled sleepily at her
daughter, the younger girl still wearing the shirt from the tuxedo.
“Good morning, Tomoyo-chan.”
Tomoyo leant forward and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Thank you for
everything, okaa-sama.” Standing up, the pale girl hurried towards
the stairs. “I have to hurry if I’m going to get to school on time. I
want to see how Sakura-chan is doing.”
Sonomi watched her daughter disappear off to her room. Smiling to
herself, the older woman finally got up herself. It was so nice to
see her daughter in love. It did her pained heart good to watch
Tomoyo so enraptured by Nadeshiko’s daughter. She only hoped Sakura
would take good care of Tomoyo’s heart. It was a precious gift and
one that Sonomi tried her hardest to protect. But that was something
that was ultimately up to Sakura to hold onto.
“Ohayo, Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo called out, waiting by the gate at
school some time later. She smiled pleasantly as the auburn haired
girl skated up to her. She could tell that Sakura looked much
happier. That, in turn, made her own heart shine. “You look much
better today, Sakura-chan. I trust things went well at the dance?”
Sakura nodded enthusiastically, pulling off her rollerblades. “It
went perfectly, Tomoyo-chan! You were right. Thank you for getting me
to go. It was so much fun!” The brunette sighed, her hands on her
cheeks as she walked towards the school building with Tomoyo. “I met
this wonderful boy. He was just.. hanyaa.” She blushed at the thought
of him. Shaking her head, she smiled over at Tomoyo. She had been so
anxious about the whole thing the entire night before, but now that
she was with her best friend again, she felt infinitely better. It
was strange how Tomoyo managed to do that. She made Sakura feel
better about herself, about everything. Her simple presence was
enough to do that.
“So Sakura-chan met a boy she liked?” Tomoyo asked curiously, her
hand on her chin. “It definitely sounds like it went well. I’m glad
you met someone, Sakura-chan. It only shows that your fairy tale
romance is waiting for you. One day your prince will come and hold
you close forever. Sakura-chan deserves nothing but the best.” The
dark haired girl sighed happily, images of Princess Sakura filling
her mind. Yes, this is what she lived for.
Sakura sweatdropped, laughing nervously. “Tomoyo-chan..” Tomoyo was
always so concerned about her happiness, about Sakura in general. It
was always comforting to know that some things would never change.
“But I know that my prince is out there somewhere. I just need to
find out who he is.”
Tomoyo tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully. Sakura seemed
awfully determined. It took all Tomoyo had not to swoon at the sight.
Sakura was always so adorable when that determined look burned in her
eyes. It was one of the many, many things that Tomoyo loved about the
brunette. But why was she so determined all of the sudden? “What do
you mean, Sakura-chan?”
Fumbling through her backpack, Sakura pulled out a single black
shoe. “This was one of his shoes. He accidentally dropped it last
night. Kero-chan thought I should try it on everyone here to find out
who he is.” Sakura sweatdropped as she explained her plan. It sounded
awfully silly. But Tomoyo merely nodded, watching her.
“That’s a good idea, Sakura-chan. But I’m a little worried. What if
your prince doesn’t turn out to be a prince at all?” Tomoyo asked,
walking alongside Sakura. The auburn haired girl looked back at her
in confusion. Tomoyo smiled and rephrased her question. “What if he
isn’t who you want him to be?”
Sakura shook her head, clutching the shoe determinedly. “I don’t
care who he is. I know I love whoever it is I met last night. I’ve
never felt that way before. It was just.. just..” Sakura trailed off,
unable to come up with words to match the storm of emotions in her
heart. Her hands clenched in front of her, as if she could drag the
words out of thing air. "It was perfect. I felt so happy with him. So
peaceful. And for once it didn’t have anything to do with magic. It
was just him. He was what made me feel that way. I don’t care who he
is.”
“That’s so sweet!” Tomoyo exclaimed, a hand on her cheek. “Sakura-
chan is so cute, lost in her thoughts on love. You really are
perfect, Sakura-chan. You’re willing to do whatever to you can to be
with your love again, ready to sacrifice what you have to in order to
see him again. You’re so romantic.” Letting out a sweet sigh, Tomoyo
watched Sakura lovingly.
Sakura sweatdropped. “Arigato, Tomoyo-chan.” She should have known
Tomoyo would react that way. But somehow, it gave her more
confidence. It made her feel better about her plan. Tomoyo thought it
was sweet of her, romantic. So it wasn’t just some crazy idea after
all. Nodding to herself, Sakura hurried into the school, Tomoyo right
behind her.
“Maybe if you curl your toys up more,” Tomoyo offered helpfully,
standing next to a kneeling Sakura as she tried to place the small
black shoe on yet another boy.
“Oww.. This thing is too tight. I don’t even know what this is all
about,” the boy complained, rubbing his foot after he pulled it out
of the shoe.
Sighing, Sakura sat back, her hands resting on the ground. “We’ve
tried just about every boy in class, Tomoyo-chan. I don’t know who he
could be. It hasn’t fit on any of them. I’m starting to worry. What
if I don’t find him?” The brunette was suddenly overcome by worry.
Her plan has seemed so great earlier that day, but now she felt
hopeless. There weren’t many boys left to try, and none of them
seemed like good candidates for the mystery boy. The thought of not
seeing him again was almost physically painful. Sakura sighed,
holding the shoe. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Looking,
up, she saw Tomoyo smiling gently down at her. Her worry ebbed away
slowly as she looked up into loving stormy blue eyes.
“It’s all right, Sakura-chan. I know you’ll find him. Just don’t
give up hope. It doesn’t suit you. Remember, you can do anything.
Everything will always work out,” Tomoyo said softly, giving Sakura’s
shoulder a gentle squeeze before pulling her hand away. She was
rewarded with a soft smile from Sakura.
“Un, you’re right, Tomoyo-chan. I just have to keep trying. He has
to be out there somewhere. And I know he’s in the class. He was so
familiar. I just couldn’t quite remember who he is.” Shaking her
head, Sakura looked back down at the shoe. There was still a chance.
They hadn’t tried all the boys yet. Just almost all of them. She
sighed softly.
“That’s my shoe!”
Sakura looked up rapidly, her heart pounding. Who was the shoe’s
mysterious owner? Where was he? Had she finally found him? Locating
the source of the voice, she spotted Yamazaki approaching her.
“Yamazaki-kun? This is your shoe?” she asked in surprise. Could it
have been him the night before? Was he her mystery boy? The one who
had so effortlessly captured her heart?
“Yeah, it’s mine. I always like to wear girls’ shoes. They let you
hear girl’s thoughts that way. The ancient Aztecs knew this. That’s
why they invented girls’ shoes back during the 1500s,” Yamazaki
explained. He pulled the shoe on, the small black shoe reaching
slightly past half of his foot. “See? Perfect fit. I always wear my
shoes like this.”
Sakura blinked in confusion, looking back up at the taller boy. She
watched as he got bopped in the head by his frustrated girlfriend,
Chiharu.
“Why do you always have to make things up?” Chiharu sighed, dragging
him off, leaving Sakura alone with her shoe.
Sakura knelt down next to the shoe again, sighing. “Tomoyo-chan,
what if I don’t find him? What if I look forever for him and he never
shoes up? What if he was just a dream?” Sakura was on the verge of
tears. She felt awful. Her last chance was slowly slipping away from
her. If she couldn’t find him with his shoe, she didn’t know how she
could ever find him again. It was her only clue and it didn’t seem to
be working at all.
Watching Sakura sadly, Tomoyo stepped closer, trying to figure out
what to do. Sakura seemed so sad. There had to be some way she could
help. But what if it only made things worse if she told Sakura? What
if Sakura couldn’t handle finding out her mystery boy was really a
mystery girl? “The most important things are worth waiting forever
for, Sakura-chan. Some things are worth searching an eternity for.
You just have to find out what these things are. They aren’t always
where we look. So we have to keep looking, always holding out hope
that it will be there.” She smiled softly, brushing back some of
Sakura’s hair from the kneeling girl’s eyes. “He wasn’t a dream,
Sakura-chan. I know because every time I’m with you, I think ‘Sakura-
chan is so amazing. She’s so wonderful. I have to be dreaming.’ But
you’re always there when I wake up. Maybe that’s why I videotape you
so much. As proof. Evidence that you’re really real.”
Tomoyo’s gentle words soothed Sakura’s frightened soul like a
lullaby, playing through her mind again and again. Her musical voice
calmed Sakura’s worried heart, taking away the pain she felt. It was
so soft, so gentle. It played through Sakura like a song. Her emerald
eyes slowly went to Tomoyo’s feet, up her pale legs. An idea struck
with sudden ferocity. Hope bloomed in her heart, followed by the
intense fear that she might be wrote. But she had to try. Scooting
forward, she took Tomoyo’s leg so suddenly that the pale girl almost
toppled over. “Gomen, Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura apologize, the words
barely escaping her breathless mouth. With trembling fingers, she
pulled off Tomoyo’s shoe, letting it fall to the floor. Her heart
pounded in a staccato beat in her chest, her mind focusing on this
last attempt. It all seemed to lead here, even if it spun Sakura in
circles to think it all through. She slowly slid the shoe on, waiting
for it to get stuck or for it to be too big.
The shoe fit perfectly. Sakura could only blink in surprise as she
moved Tomoyo’s foot around in her hand, amazed at the fit. It was
almost too good to be true. She had found him. He had been right
there, all along, watching her try it on all the others. Her heart
pounded in her chest, as she slowly looked up. Tomoyo was looking
down at her, stormy blue eyes sparkling just as they had the night
before. “Tomoyo-chan.. It’s you.. You’re him! I mean.. her. I..
Tomoyo-chan..” Sakura trailed off, unsure of what to say.
Smiling down softly, Tomoyo helped Sakura back up. “Gomen nasai,
Sakura-chan. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to cause any
trouble for you,” the dark haired girl apologized, looking into
Sakura’s eyes. She still wasn’t sure how Sakura was taking it, how it
was affecting the other girl. She nearly shrank back at the
frustration that briefly flashed in Sakura’s eyes.
“You were right there all along and you didn’t even tell me? I spent
all day touching people’s feet just so I could find you and you were
right there?” Sakura darted forward, hugging Tomoyo tightly. To her
pleasant surprise, it was much more enjoyable than hugging her
pillow. “If you didn’t want to cause me trouble, you could have told
me this morning that it was you I was looking for.”
Tomoyo giggled softly, her indigo eyes falling shut. Whatever
concerns she had held earlier dissipated like a fine mist. Sakura
wasn’t angry with her. She wasn’t even in shock about the whole
thing. And she seemed to be taking the fact that her mystery prince
was a princess rather well. “I’ll remember that next time, Sakura-
chan.”
“Hoe.. There won’t have to be a next time, will there?” Sakura
asked, feeling exhausted. She had enough searching for her love for
any number of lifetimes.
“Not if you don’t want there to be, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo replied.
She sighed, resting against Sakura. “But I still found it incredibly
romantic that you would look for me with such cute determination. I
always knew that Sakura-chan could be incredibly romantic at heart.”
Sakura blushed, still holding onto Tomoyo. But that just furthered
to relax her. The dark haired heiress always had been good at making
her blush, after all. And making her feel loved. She smiled happily,
holding onto her newly found princess, who just happened to have been
there all along. “I love you, Tomoyo-chan,” she whispered softly. “I
told you I didn’t care who you were. I should have known it was you
all along.”
“Oh, Sakura-chan..” Tomoyo replied, her heart nearly bursting with
joy. She hugged the other girl tighter, reveling in the sound of
Sakura’s beautiful words in her mind. “I love you, too, Sakura-chan.”
Sakura sighed happily, not wanting to relinquish their embrace.
Slowly, she blinked her eyes open. “Ano.. Tomoyo-chan? If you didn’t
want me to know it was you, why did you kiss me last night?”
Tomoyo smiled, her hands on Sakura’s shoulders as she pulled just
inches away. “Because Sakura-chan looked so cute, but a little
lonely, too. You looked like you needed a kiss. Just like now.” Using
Sakura’s blush as her cue, Tomoyo leant forward and gave Sakura
another soft kiss. This time, however, Sakura responded. Tomoyo
blushed herself as she felt Sakura return the kiss with her whole
genki spirit. Closing her eyes tightly, Tomoyo let the world melt
away as the kiss took her to the brink of heaven. Maybe the dance
hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but she was more than happy with the
outcome. If Sakura thought she could make her happy, then she would
just have to try her hardest.
Sakura held onto Tomoyo with all that she had as they kissed. It
was even more magical than the one the night before. It filled Sakura
with a swirling typhoon of feelings that threatened to sweep her
away. But she didn’t care. She would be happy to lose herself in
them. She felt so happy, so ‘hanyaa’, just to be with Tomoyo, to have
found her prince. Or princess, as the case may be. Tomoyo had been
right. Some things were worth searching an eternity for. But she was
incredibly grateful that she had found it now.